Flight Software Engineer
Designs, builds, and maintains flight software that connects diverse spacecraft hardware to Loft Federal's satellite platform, including writing unit/integration tests, reviewing code, and shaping onboard architecture. Core stack: C/C++, Python, Git, CI tools, build systems, and embedded Linux for space missions.
- Compensation
- $100K–$180K / yr
- Location
- Arvada, Colorado
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Category
- Software engineering
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 3+ years software engineering experience using C/C++ (C++11 or newer) and Python
- Proficiency with Git and collaborative development workflows
- Experience with continuous integration tools (GitLab-CI, Jenkins, or similar)
- Knowledge of build systems (e.g., Make, CMake)
- Understanding of distributed architecture
- Familiarity with networking protocols (UDP, TCP, IP) and POSIX standards
- Experience developing multi-threaded applications
- Previous team leader or manager role
Nice to have
- Familiarity with additional programming languages such as Go or Rust
- Experience with embedded Linux (Yocto, device trees, systemd, Linux on ARM)
- Proficiency with unit test frameworks (pytest, Googletest, Unity)
- Experience with middleware frameworks (gRPC, ZMQ/NATS)
- Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, K3S, systemd-nspawn)
- Experience with space systems and concepts
Full description
About Loft Federal
Loft Federal is committed to delivering the U.S. national security space community a fast, affordable, and streamlined pathway to orbit. As a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Loft Orbital Solutions, Inc., we specialize in providing mission-ready space infrastructure with unmatched efficiency.
At Loft, we empower our team with autonomy, ownership, and bold problem-solving opportunities while fostering a tight-knit, supportive environment. We believe that diversity, inclusivity, and community are the foundation of an open and innovative culture. We value kind, collaborative, and mission-driven teammates who excel in problem-solving and communication—because great solutions come from great teams.
Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with us?
Loft Federal’s Software group provides the on-orbit software that powers our satellite fleet — from the Linux services running on the Hub’s onboard computers, to the containerized workloads executing customer applications in low Earth orbit.
The applications developed by our team handle the low-level communication protocol details, exposing the connected devices behind standardized APIs used across mission operations. The team is also responsible for the automation and orchestration that allows Loft to safely and reliably operate the equipment at scale.
In this Flight Software Engineer role, you’ll help develop the software that connects diverse spacecraft hardware to the rest of the platform, and ultimately enables successful missions in orbit.
What you'll do:
- Design, implement, and refine software with a high degree of ownership, driving impactful features from concept through delivery while ensuring robustness and reliability.
- Review code, provide clear feedback, and enforce adherence to established development processes, style guides, and design standards to maintain consistency and quality across the codebase.
- Design and implement unit and integration tests for both self-authored and peer-authored code.
- Utilize version control systems to create feature branches, push code, and merge approved code into production branches.
- Contribute to the onboard software architecture through design proposals and collaborative review
- Participate in the review and enhancement of software development processes and design standards.
- Coordinate with downstream teams on the distribution and adoption of the latest releases.
- In addition to responsibilities within onboard software, you’ll have the opportunity to directly be involved in operating our on-orbit fleet of satellites.